Climate activists escalated their recent campaigns by staging a “die-in” Wednesday afternoon in front of Ballantine Hall. Police broke up the protest after just 10 minutes.
Roughly a dozen students participated in the protest organized by a student-led climate organization, Fridays For Future Bloomington, by lying in the street. The group marches every Friday to raise awareness for climate change. Wednesday’s protest was an effort to stand in solidarity with the humans and other species whose lives are altered by the climate crisis.
When a police officer arrived to ask students to move out of the street so cars could get through, all but junior Patrick Saling complied.
“Cars were absolutely able to get through,” said Saling, who sat with his feet planted in the street.
“I put my tush on the curb but alas, my feet stayed in the road because these feet are for moving with people, for changing the world, and they are staying in the road,” he said.
The officer returned and engaged in a brief argument with Saling until the student left to take a quiz.
“He got lucky this time,” Saling said. “Me and IUPD will see each other again. We always do.”
The protest and exchange with the officer drew the attention of students passing by during a busy period. Steven Rigg, president of Students For a New Green World, a climate change activist group integral in staging the protest, was not content.
“These demonstrations don’t mean a whole lot until we’re asking for something,” said Rigg. “Until the school seems unreasonable in not granting our requests. These actions don’t have a whole lot of weight right now, but they will in the future.”
As for their future plans, Rigg and others are creating a list of demands for IU President Michael McRobbie.
“If we can build an argument that their competitors and other schools are making steps to advocate for the environment and are implementing policy while IU is not and is seen as lagging, then they’re going to pay attention,” said Rigg. “That’s the leverage point we’re going to try and pull here.”
